Spring

“Futility“ by Wilfred Owen (1918)

While Millay's “Spring” offers a look into the loss of life in World War I from a civilian mourner's perspective, the British poet Wilfred Owen wrote about it from the perspective of a soldier. Owen's poems help clarify why World War I traumatized many civilians and soldiers. Born only a year apart, Millay and Owen both situated their depiction of fallen soldiers in nature in their respective works, “Spring” and “Futility.” They also frame death as the loss of personhood, memory, and experience.

“To Elinor Wylie“ by Edna St. Vincent Millay (c 1928)

“To Elinor Wylie” offers a different glimpse into Millay's view of death and the grieving process. While “Spring” contends with a societal loss and the loss of many people, “To Elinor Wylie” depicts a personal loss and the loss of one individual. Millay wrote the poem in tribute to her friend and fellow American poet Elinor Wylie.

“There are No Islands Anymore“ by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1940)

Although a pacifist in her late teens and early 20s, Millay's political beliefs shifted later in life. She became a passionate advocate for America's involvement in World War II.